Arthur Report 11-6-16

Launched at Porters Cove around 9 AM water temp was 55* The lake was like glass and only a few other boats to be seen.
I focused on perch, of course. Worked the cove and up around bear run launch. The catching started slow with only a few jumbo gills and it progressively got better throughout the morning. I had to jump around a lot, some of the beds I hit held dinks and then I move 20 feet and I was catching 9-12" keepers. Perch were taking both fatheads and worms.
I ended up with 22 solid keeper perch and threw back probably double that in undersized perch. I also tried around the dam area and only caught a few, some guys were jigging and seemed to be doing quite well. Looked like crappie and I also seen a guy catch either a nice big bass or a wiper.
Tried the fingers with no luck, seemed dead back there. Overall decent day, bite was off and on but the final numbers were pretty good.
 
Good luck if you get out, best time of year in my opinion, little to no boat traffic and the fisshhin is typically good if the wind behaves.

The cold is brutal, I've learned to layer up and invest in some wind proof/cutting gear. I normally fish by boat until the winds are to much to handle with the cold water. Don't trust my little boat in those conditions. Some of the best fishing happens after dark f you can handle the cold. It'll be wading/shore fishing only for me pretty soon. 

some sections of the lake were the dead sea that day, Absolutely nothing in the fingers besides 1 bluegil the biggest waste of 2hrs back there. Some parts of that lake I never do well in, yet I read others reports and give it a try anyway.
Glad you got into some! 

anyone musky fish up there lately know everyone got skunked on tournament

Search here for Arthur reports and watch for "muddy creek."  That's the common name for where you are talking about.  I'd say 2/3 of the guys on this board frequent on the 528 side of the lake.  Same fish both sides, different fishing.  Really comes down to preference.  

Other than the depth at the bridges, both areas are pretty much the same.  Average depth I'd guess at 3-4 feet.  With large amounts of shallow areas completely weeded over for most of the summer and fall.  Both areas are chock full of fish habitat.  
 
Back in the day the 528 end was loaded with brush, trees, stumps, etc.  Those long ago rotted to dust and have been replaced variously with programs that sink man-made cover and also they drop trees and brush from the shorelines all around the lake.  Most of the natural cover now is weedbeds and bottom structure.